After the Celtics’ 100-98, double-overtime win over the Heat on Sunday afternoon, Celts coach Doc Rivers explained that he didn’t tell his players the news of Rajon Rondo‘s torn ACL injury until after the game.

“Obviously the Rondo news is pretty tough,” Rivers said. “I knew it before the game; no one else knew it. I just didn’t think it was any time to tell any of our guys that. I told them after the game. Pretty emotional in the locker room.”

Rivers said Rondo went through the team’s walk-through earlier in the day, and actually believed the injury — suffered in Friday night’s loss to Atlanta — to be a hamstring issue. But after further examination by team medical director Brian McKeon, it was determined that the point guard had torn the ACL in his right knee.

It wasn’t until halftime that Rondo was informed the extent of his injury, according to Rivers.

“Very emotional. Very emotional,” the coach said of the player’s reaction. “Funny, at halftime, I knew, and didn’t know. Still. And because Dr. McKeon knew, but he hadn’t seen the MRI. But the technician had already told him. And Dr. McKeon told me, ‘Positive, but let’s wait.’ And so that was hard, too.”

Regarding the reaction of the players after he informed them of Rondo’s injury, Rivers said, “It was good, and then it went down. … I just walked in and told them. I don’t know what else you can do. Guys were celebrating and then it just …”

The Celtics coach still relayed optimism after the game, despite there be no pure point guard on the current roster whom might step in for Rondo.

“Well, you can write the obituary. I’m not,” Rivers said. “You can go ahead. But I’m not. We won tonight, and so the way I look at it is: we’re going to stay in there. In my opinion, we’re going nowhere.”

To hear Rivers’ entire postgame press conference, click here.

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